The countdown has begun to the opening of Winchester's new Household Waste Recycling Centre which opens its gates to the public later this month.

The new site at Bar End will replace the current recycling centre in Garnier Road on December 15th, creating the biggest centre in Hampshire.

The Garnier Road site is now too small for the heavy usage it receives, and vehicle access is difficult. This site will close permanently at 4.30pm on December 14th.

The new site opens at 8am the following day and is located at the southern end of Bar End Road, near the park and ride car parks. It features an innovative circular split-level design allowing the bins to be serviced without having to close the site.

Hampshire County Council's executive member for environment, Councillor Keith Estlin, said: "This will be a flagship site for Winchester, and for recycling in general throughout Hampshire. Despite its limitations, the Garnier Road site consistently recycled above the Hampshire HWRC average of 53%. The new site with all its improvements should more than exceed this."

* The opening times will be the same as the current site, which is 8am to 4.30pm from 1 October 1st to March 31st, and 8am to 7pm from April 1st to September 30th. It will be open every day, except December 25th, 26th and January 1st.